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Why You Should Care About Homemaking (as a 21st Century Woman)

It is still a little strange for me to think of myself as a homemaker. Isn’t that synonymous with the 1950’s and June Cleaver?

I don’t look much like her, and I do other work besides managing a home, as a blogger.

When I quit my teaching job to be a SAHM six years ago, it felt awkward to put “homemaker” on my taxes as my career. It wasn’t a title I had aspired to. It wasn’t how I saw myself, even then.

Stay-at-home-mom? Yep, that’s me! I had a baby. I quit working.

Homemaker? I don’t own an apron, so …not really.

However, over the past seven years of being married and having “a home of my own” (including the years I worked outside the home, the years I didn’t, and the years I worked from home), I have gradually gained a sense of purpose and vision for homemaking.

It started off as a dawning understanding. Now it’s a full-out passion.

Along the way, I’ve learned a lot from many godly women, including my mom and mother-in-law, as well as some favorite bloggers and authors. I love this quote by Jami Balmet at YoungWifesGuide.com.

You are a homemaker by definition. You are a homemaker if you are a woman. Whether or not you have kids. Whether or not you work outside the home. Whether or not you are married. You are a homemaker because God has designed your role to be a keeper of your home.

That made sense to me, and knowing that God designed me for this role motivated me to begin the process of exploring what it really means to “make” a home and why it matters eternally.

Why You Should Care About Homemaking as a 21st Century Woman

It provides a place for met needs

We get to literally give life to our families through our homemaking. That’s a big deal! Through our hard work, they are provided with nourishing food, clean clothing, shelter and order.

Our homes meet the basic needs of those we are called to nurture and love.

Our families won’t easily thrive when our homes lack the systems to ensure their needs are met. However, when we work at our homemaking with all our heart, as working for the Lord and not for man (Colossians 3:23-24), and when we devote our energy figuring out how to do this well, we give them a great foundation every day.

We should do that!

*If you struggle with maintaining a basic handle on your home, check out my eCourse. I created it just for you!

It allows us to express our God-given gift

As women, God has placed in us the ability and calling to craft a home. I believe Paul’s advice to Titus is still good for us today,

“And so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive, that the word of God may not be reviled.” Titus 2:4-5

Even though I didn’t initially see myself as a homemaker, as I slowly dipped my toe into this new way of thinking, I began to realize its merit.

The work of it became fulfilling and motivating in and of itself! While I’m not a perfect homemaker, something in me was ignited as I began exploring this concept.

When woman was created, God gave her the name Eve, because she would be the mother of all the living. That “mothering nature” that is so definitive of our womanhood is closely related to homemaking.Through the making of our home, we are putting practical action to the tending of our children. And if we don’t have children, we are exercising our nurturing nature towards whomever lives in our home, as well as those we invite in.

He has created us such that, we will find satisfaction and fulfillment through hard work.

As Proverbs 13:4 says, “A sluggard’s appetite is never filled,but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.”

We have the privilege, not only of meeting the physical needs of our families, but also of intentionallycreating an atmosphere for them to blossom in every other way. In the practice of homemaking, all three of these foundational truths about womanhood and life come together in one single pursuit.

It’s a beautiful thing.

As homemakers, we have the privilege of

creating structure and routine that will help our children learn the value of discipline and hard work.

fostering an atmosphere of encouragement, patience, grace and forgiveness

folding in prayer, a thankfulness to God, a love for His Word, and a steady stream of conversation about His ways within our homes.

Each of these are aspects of homemaking. They fill up our children’s love tanks and provide a platform for them to learn who God is, and in turn, who they are. Our homes provide a breeding ground and launching pad for God’s kingdom work. It’s a mission field.

In this way, we create an atmosphere in which our families can be soaked in the goodness of God.

Do you ever wonder how some women make running a home look so natural?

I certainly have!

However, after many years of watching my friends who do this well, and after much trial and error, I’ve boiled it all down to 3 essential daily habits. With these 3 habits in place, a home can function pretty well! Without them, it will be perpetual catchup.

While I used to feel like a failure as a homemaker, I know feel a sense of success and satisfaction.

I’d love to share these 3 simple (secret) daily habits with you. If you focus your energy into establishing them, I believe you will achieve the same breakthrough in your homemaking that I did.

Can I share my secrets with you?

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Comments

So much truth! I have had an eye towards homemaking since I was a little girl and I would reorganize my mom’s pantry and clean out bathroom cabinets.
I haven’t always been good at it, but I sure love it and when I get bogged down in the mundane I try to remind myself how good it feels to walk into my mom’s house and smell supper cooking and know she’s got my favorite coke in the fridge or go over to my in laws for Sunday dinner and they have a fire started and the paper left on the couch for me (bc what better way to spend a cold Sunday afternoon). Those things are love in action and I want my family to feel that.

Thanks for writing this Katie. I have found it difficult of late to feel like being a homemaker holds much purpose. Reading that it is Gods design in me to be creative and nurturing brings me the assurance I need to pursue what I naturally desire. I have struggled with feeling a bit useless as I’ve never aspired to have a career but maybe I do need to pursue more of what I love and that that is ok and actually good and fulfilling God purpose for me.

Thanks for this article! I have always known that I wanted be a stay at home mom and homemaker. I just started back to college since all 5 of my kids are in school now. My husband has rheumatoid arthritis and he will likely not be able to physically work eventually. I have been struggling with this transition, because I love being a stay at home mom and homemaker. I know that I am doing what the Lord wants. It’s trying to balance everything that has been a challenge. Your article has really inspired me.

This is so beautiful. I am with you – it was so awkward the first time I had to list myself as a “homemaker” on my taxes (honestly: I cringed). It has taken a few years of being home, but I increasingly see the value in what I am doing and feel fulfilled knowing being home is providing so much stability for our family. Great post!

Oh, Boy! It took me years to realize I was a homemaker and to finally embrace my role. I taught as well, and never thought of myself as a homemaker until I became a SAHM which was a rough transition for me. I studied scripture and slowly but surely God changed my heart and attitude about homemaking, and now I love it! This was such a great article full of truth!

Thank you so much Emily! I agree, I never associated myself with that word AT ALL for the longest time! But somehow, God started to open my eyes to this calling. It’s so fun to meet like-hearted women!

Excellent post Katie! I recently found your blog and really enjoyed reading this. I think that women from all walks of life, working or not working, can relate to the depth in this article. Finding that purpose in God is so beautiful. Thanks Katie!

Katie,
As a Family and Consumer Sciences educator, I find my role is partly to teach young (and older) women the valuable role they play in their homes. Unfortunately, many girls are not taught the importance and value of keeping a home. The love and nurturing of home and family sometimes does not come naturally, so it is even more critical to model and demonstrate the traits and skills to be successful. Thank you for such an innovative means to share this important work. May God continue to bless you and your family.

I am a twenty-something single gal with a desire to become a P31 woman and homemaking is a big area I believe God is calling me to start understanding and embracing as my call to be a wife and mother in the near future.

This was especially helpful when Pinterest is usually bombarding me with pins about everything but how to do home-well instead of starting 10 million things to distract us from the art of homemaking.

That is wonderful! I think you are on the right track! I feel compelled in the same way, and I agree with you about Pinterest. It can easily become distracting from the deeper point!

There is going to be a product coming out on July 13th that is a suite of 15 courses on homemaking called My Homemaking Mentor (taught by 10 different mentors who are all Christina, homemaking-type bloggers that I admire, plus myself) that you might be interested in. If you want to be on the list for more information about that when it comes out, you can join the newsletter or the challenge!

Thank you so much for this perfectly timed article. Living in Australia I often feel old-fashioned being a stay at home mum and a homemaker. It’s so encouraging to know their are other christian mum’s who still value being a “worker at home”. It’s such a blessing to be at home and watch them grow. God bless you and your family x